The Forbidden

A Favor

I'm standing there in my living room, staring at my door, with a million thoughts running through my mind.

I grab my phone from my clutch and dial Kristy's number.

She picks up on the third ring. "Hello?" I can tell she was sleeping.

"Kris, I'm freaking out. I need your help."

I hear shuffling and the click of a door. "Talia, what's going on? It's two in the morning."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just...something happened and I don't know what to think of it." I shove my hand through my hair and kick off my heels.

"Okay?" she says in question. "Tell me."

I give her the details of the night, so she understands the situation. "Damn, Tal. Sounds like you had an amazing night. What could've gone wrong?" She laughs.

"Well, I think I momentarily blacked out from the orgasm and have no idea what happened."

"Ahh, the classic pleasure coma. Happens to the best of us," she laughs again.

I roll my eyes. "That's not a thing." I shake my head and continue. "Anyway, when I came down from it and opened my eyes, his demeaner had changed dramatically. He was scowling at me and yelled at me."

"What the hell? Why?"

"Well, that's the reason I called. He, um." I hesitate, not sure how to say the words I'm about to say.

"Spit it out, Tal. I'm tired." I can hear the annoyance in her voice.

I sigh. "He said that as I came, I screamed someone else's name." She laughed and I rolled my eyes. "It's not funny, Kristy. It's mortifying."

"That's why you're calling me at 2 a.m.? To tell me you screamed someone else's name as you enjoyed an intense orgasm?"

She's still laughing as I scream into the phone, "I screamed Mason's name!"

She goes silent for a solid 30 seconds before saying, "that is amazing."

"No it isn't Kristy! I brought Lucas home to sleep with him so I could stop thinking about Mason, not scream his name while Lucas brings me to orgasm." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "What am I going to do? Clearly my brain didn't get the hint."

"Talia, it's not that big of a deal. You're a woman who clearly knows what she wants. So just give in to your body and do it. I don't understand why you're fighting it anyway. You both clearly want each other. It was very obvious last night. He was not happy watching you leave with Lucas. He stormed out after you guys left. Thought he was going to chase after you."

"What?" He left Blink after I did? Why would he do that? "I didn't see him outside," I say mostly to myself.

"Tal, I love you, but I need to sleep. Don't overthink this. It honestly happens all the time. Get some sleep. It'll be fine." I hear her yawn. "Good night babe. Call ya tomorrow?"

"Okay, yeah. That sounds fine. Night Kris." I hang up the phone and sink further into my couch. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep with thoughts of Mason in my head.

***

Monday comes way too soon, and by lunch time, I'm ready to pull my hair out. Four patients before lunch and I still have four more to see, and what feels like a million notes to enter. There aren't enough hours in the day for this. Why did I choose this career, again? I plop down in my chair behind my desk and lay my forehead against the cool wood.

I'm waiting for my lunch to be delivered when my phone rings loudly, making me jump. I groan and pick up my phone, scrunching my nose at the unknown number. Reluctantly, I answer. "Hello, this is Dr. Pavlova," I say into the phone.